Caught in a sandy ’70s time warp, Avalon is the mythical Australian beach you always dreamed of but could never find. Challenging surf and sloping, tangerine-gold sand have a boutique headland for a backdrop. There's a sea pool at the southern end. Good, cheap eating options abound in the streets behind.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Bilgola

0.75 MILES

With its huge saltwater pool and tucked-away location between the better-known Newport and Avalon beaches, little Bilgola feels like a bit of a secret gem…

2. Newport

1.44 MILES

This well-known Sydney surf beach is a kilometre-long strip of east-facing sand with reliable waves and a backing of Norfolk pine trees.

3. Whale Beach

1.61 MILES

Sleepy Whale Beach, 3km south of Palm Beach, is well worth seeking out – a paradisiacal slice of deep, orange-tinted sand backed by pines and flanked by…

4. Palm Beach

2.95 MILES

Long, lovely Palm Beach is a crescent of bliss that's famous as the setting for cheesy TV soap Home and Away. The 1881 Barrenjoey Lighthouse punctuates…

5. Currawong Beach

3.31 MILES

You will have to take the ferry at Palm Beach to reach this sheltered, carless beach suburb on the shores of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. There…

6. Barrenjoey Lighthouse

3.79 MILES

This historic sandstone lighthouse (1881) sits at the northern tip of the Northern Beaches in an annexe of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. You've got two…

7. West Head

4.09 MILES

This central section of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a spectacular wilderness, with awe-inspiring vistas over Pittwater and Broken Bay, hidden beach…

8. Narrabeen

5.57 MILES

Immortalised by the Beach Boys in 'Surfin’ USA', long, spectacular Narrabeen is hard-core surf turf – get some experience before hitting the breaks. Not…